http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0cOCCfbJHk Kate Bush's lyrics are rarely straightforward, but in a break from her norm, this song from 'The Red Shoes' goes straight for the jugular. This is a very sad story of a break up, it deals with the functional side of a split before literally getting to the heart of the matter two people who are devoted to each other but who have somehow gotten complacent about their love. This is a letter written about how they got there, and the music paces it to match their mutual lethargy. So it starts with her moving out of the home they'd shared together, and this is where the sadness kicks in, she doesn't want to go, despite having a attractive new person in her life, he's just not the same 'Yes, he's very good looking but he's not you, he can't do the things you do, he can't make me laugh, and cry at the same time...' The point is that her emotional frame of reference is tied with the man she's leaving; all of the experiences that mean something to her are tied to lost love, so having someone new just won't do, or will it? The music moves along slowly and matches the change in mood perfectly, whilst she purrs over the top, moving from misery, anger and finally to the desire for reunion singing their private names in a desperate attempt reconnect - 'Sugar? Honey?' This is an unbelievably frank, everyday story of the heart, delivered by a masterful storyteller.
What makes music fantastic? Star quality, amazing music, breathtaking lyrics and the ability to bring something new to the table, even if that means a new take on the classics. That's what I love to listen to and write about.
As well as writing for What Culture, I occasionally write a blog http://tedney.blogspot.co.uk and sometimes use Twitter, but sparingly @TedneyNash